Sunil Gavaskar

Nagpur: On Sunday evening, Little Master I Sunil Gavaskar spoke to The Telegraph, exclusively on Sourav Ganguly.

The following are excerpts

Whether he felt sad when Sourav went for a duck in his last innings for India

I did, yes... Nobody likes to see somebody failing to score in his final Test innings, but such things happen... If I may add, batsmen have the desire to score at least one, both in their first and last appearances... Of course, Sir Don too got out without scoring in his final innings... One felt more sad for Sourav as he’d missed a hundred in the first innings.

The farewell Test getting dampened

People should remember Sourav’s 85 in the first innings, not the duck... It’s a one-ball game and, as I’ve said, these things happen.

Sourav’s career

It’s a career which gave India so much joy... To talk of his batting, he’d be one of the best sights when in flow... Nobody drove through the off-side like he did and we’ll also miss his dancing down the wicket to the spinners. I particularly liked his cover drives... Liked his determination to overcome obstacles... He’d hang in there.

Sourav as captain

There was turmoil in Indian cricket soon after Sourav got the captaincy (March 2000, just before the match-fixing scandal) and he was able to straightaway make an impact... It’s because of those early wins under him that a lot of the fans who’d been disillusioned, came back to cricket. As captain, Sourav gave India plenty of pride and lots of substance... He provided the kind of leadership you seldom see in any walk of life.

Best way to sum up Sourav

Feisty and elegant... Somebody with an attacking sense, both as a batsman and captain.

Sourav’s legacy

If I’m to talk of his captaincy, he made the team believe in itself... Believe that it could win.

What would he tell Sourav on Monday, his final day as an India cricketer

(Grins) Well played, you’ve had a terrific career and you’ve truly been the Dada of Indian cricket.

Finally, whether Sourav would’ve been tempted to take back his retirement and whether the selectors could’ve asked him to reconsider his decision

Look, except for Bengali sweets and biryani, I don’t know what else tempts Sourav! As for the selectors, once a player has announced he’s quitting, then how can they talk to him? It’s for the player alone to speak to them if he’s having second thoughts.